• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
the tour guy travel blog

The Tour Guythe tour guy travel blog

Options that make travel more memorable

  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Acropolis
    • Amalfi Coast & Pompeii
    • Amsterdam
    • Athens
    • Barcelona
    • Capri
    • Cinque Terre
    • Dublin
    • Florence
    • Granada
    • Hong Kong
    • Ibiza
    • Ischia
    • Lake Como
    • Las Vegas
    • London
    • Los Angeles
    • Milan
    • Montalcino
    • New York City
    • Venice
    • Lyon
    • Madrid
    • Nice
    • Normandy
    • Paris
    • Rome
    • Vatican City
  • Guided Tours
  • Sign In
Home > travel-blog > Spain > Barcelona > Where to Get the Best Spanish Tapas in Barcelona: 4 Best Places
History of Food in Barcelona

Where to Get the Best Spanish Tapas in Barcelona: 4 Best Places

Sean Finelli Last Updated: March 24, 2021

Barcelona has become a culinary center that satisfies all sorts of appetites. These “small plate” tapas have adapted to new times and to new customers living or visiting Barcelona, offering dishes with influences from all around the world. Besides monuments and touristic attractions, Barcelona owns a unique cuisine, with impacts from French, Spanish, Arabic and other Mediterranean cultures, a part of the city’s heritage.


History and Food

The current Catalan cuisine is the product of thousands of years of experiments and human interactions. Maybe, the most influential culture that is still present in this cuisine is the Arabic culture.

As seen in the previous post on Gaudí, Arabic culture has been very present in art and architecture, but also in food. This influence is still present since basic food products have Arabic origins, such as rice, vegetables like eggplant and spinach, as well as citric fruits.

Spanish food is associated with tapas, which are any small portion of Spanish cuisine and are served both hot and cold. The most basic and popular tapa offered in Barcelona is the so-called “pa amb tomàquet” (bread with tomato), which offers different types of food combinations. This bread can be mounted with serrano ham, Spanish omelette, grilled vegetables, among other delicious accompaniments. Besides this bread-based food, Barcelona offers amazing dishes to hungry visitors.

American fruits and vegetables also shaped Barcelona’s cuisine and brought new products that were mixed with the existing ones. This was the case of the flagship food, “pa amb tomàquet”, but there are other examples where American vegetables brought amazing new flavours that have ended up being star dishes in Barcelona, such as “butifarra amb seques”, Catalan sausage with white beans, or American beans – a delicious combination!

Recommended Restaurants

To taste Spanish tapas in Barcelona, we recommend a series of restaurants where you will be able to meet local flavours and its history. The majority of historical and traditional restaurants in Barcelona are located in its city centre, but modern neighbourhoods in Barcelona also offer a rich gastronomic variety.

Can Culleretes

Barcelona Cuisine Influences

This is the oldest restaurant in the city of Barcelona and the second oldest of all Spain. Can Culleretes has been serving food since 1786. The restaurant itself could be considered a history museum since its walls are furnished with historical artifacts, old paintings, and pictures of local and world celebrities that have visited this restaurant.

The family that currently takes care of this unique restaurant has owned it since the late 1950s,  guaranteeing quality food, tradition, and expertise. This restaurant has conserved a classical tapas menu but also adapted to new industry demands. At Can Culleretes, you will find professionals that take care of both local and tourist clients and will be happy to share their traditional cuisine with you.

Escribà

Barcelona Paella

Located outside the city centre, Escribà offers amazing rice dishes alongside exclusive views of the Mediterranean sea. The restaurant is in a structure built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games in the neighbourhood called “Olympic Villa”, constructed to host the Olympic athletes.

This restaurant belongs to the Escribà family, dedicated to the arts of the rice, and you will enjoy a rich menu that combines local appetizers with special rice dishes and paella. Its location provides a unique atmosphere to enjoy sunsets next to the beach while enjoying cocktails.

7 Portes

“7 Portes”, or 7 Doors, is another historical restaurant that belongs to Barcelona’s cultural and gastronomic heritage,  located between Barri Gòtic and Barceloneta. This restaurant was first built around the mid-19th century by a local businessman, who established a café within his own building. This building had 8 doors, but the last of them was exclusive for him and his family to enter their building, hence the name.

After almost two centuries feeding locals and visitors, this restaurant offers a mix of traditional tapas with innovative dishes. Here you can find amazing rice dishes, alongside fresh fish and light salads.

Granja la Pallaresa

To conclude our recommendations, in this bakery you can taste the most delicious sweets from Barcelona. After a long day seeing the sites of Barcelona, this offers a comfortable space to rest and taste sweet home-made desserts.

La Pallaresa is famous for its crema catalana, xurros, among others. But its most famous product is el suizo, “Swiss” hot chocolate topped with cream, which has been happily eaten for more than a century by Barcelonans. Try dipping the xurros in the chocolate for a delicious treat!

Find the best places to stay

Where to Stay in Barcelona

A great hotel at a great price has become the norm in this internet era. Our article explains what areas are the best in Barcelona so you can get a great deal on the perfect location!

Best Places to stay in Barcelona

  • The 15 BEST SPANISH Foods & Dishes to Try in Barcelona for 2022
    The 15 BEST SPANISH Foods & Dishes to Try in…
  • Useful Spanish and Catalan Phrases to Know Before Your Trip to Barcelona
    Useful Spanish and Catalan Phrases to Know Before…
  • The 11 Best Places To Eat Tapas In Madrid
    The 11 Best Places To Eat Tapas In Madrid
  • How to get around Barcelona: Guide to Metro, Buses & Uber
    How to get around Barcelona: Guide to Metro, Buses & Uber
  • The Best Markets in Barcelona
    The Best Markets in Barcelona
  • 10 Best Restaurants Near Park Güell in Barcelona
    10 Best Restaurants Near Park Güell in Barcelona

I Want More Barcelona!

  • If you want us to arrange the entertainment in Barcelona (and beyond!), contact our Trip Planning Team to coordinate an unforgettable Italian experience.
  • Check out our step-by-step guide about how to do Barcelona in a Day. If you’d rather let us guide you, check out our guided Barcelona tours.
  • Follow our adventures on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Then, comment and tell us what you want us to cover next.
Spanish Tapas in Barcelona Pinterest

About Sean Finelli

Sean is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He studied finance and statistics, but that is his "Dr. Jekyll" side! His "Mr. Hyde" is in love with travel, art, history, and culture. Sean has read libraries of historical text and believes that all internet content should come from books. A practice he follows!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

barcelona best view the tour guy

Want a great experience in Barcelona?

See our latest deals on Barcelona tours!

why the tour guy

Why The Tour Guy?

check mark

Top Rated Tour Company in Europe

check mark

Thousands of 5 star Customer Reviews

check mark

Providing Tours for 10+ Years

check mark

Best Access to the Monuments You Want to See

check mark

More Departure Times Each Day

See Barcelona Tours

Related Posts

  • The 15 BEST SPANISH Foods & Dishes to Try in Barcelona for 2022
    The 15 BEST SPANISH Foods & Dishes to Try in…
  • Useful Spanish and Catalan Phrases to Know Before Your Trip to Barcelona
    Useful Spanish and Catalan Phrases to Know Before…
  • The 11 Best Places To Eat Tapas In Madrid
    The 11 Best Places To Eat Tapas In Madrid
  • How to get around Barcelona: Guide to Metro, Buses & Uber
    How to get around Barcelona: Guide to Metro, Buses & Uber
The best hotels in barcelona

Best Barcelona Hotels
in 2021!

Footer

COMPANY

  • About Us
  • Travel Blog
  • Trip Planning
  • In The Press

POLICY & TERMS

  • Cancellation Policy
  • Travel Insurance
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

CONTACT US

  • USA or Canada: +1 888 290 5595
  • Italy: +39 06 9480 4747
  • UK: +44 800 808 5370
  • Australia: +61 1300 113 254
  • France: +33 1 70700 898
  • Email: [email protected]

FIND US ON

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

WE ACCEPT

we accept payments

Copyright © 2022 The Tour Guy. All rights reserved.